As part of an ongoing effort to equip students with the proper knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their financial futures, the Philadelphia Eagles and Firstrust Bank are launching an expansive new digital learning platform in area-based schools for the Fall of 2021. Firstrust Bank-Philadelphia Eagles Entrepreneurs Game Plan powered by EVERFI is a fully-integrated, interdisciplinary program that will use case studies, interactive business simulations, and personal development activities to prepare students for a bright and prosperous future.
Students will become educated on how to save startup capital and balance a budget, what it means to be an entrepreneur, recognizing business opportunities, starting a business, and creating an effective business pitch. The custom-tailored curriculum will train students on how to apply their learnings in school and in their personal lives, while awarding participants with a series of exciting engagement opportunities and recognition events involving the Eagles and Firstrust Bank.
The program will be implemented in 30 high schools across the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey regions, which will include Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Camden counties.
"The Philadelphia Eagles are committed to the personal and professional development of students through innovative learning programs that inspire them to pursue their dreams," said Eagles President Don Smolenski. "Entrepreneurs Game Plan has been strategically designed by EVERFI to empower students to think creatively about their futures, while equipping them with invaluable entrepreneurial skills to help them succeed. We look forward to launching this new financial literacy program in area-based schools this upcoming Fall with Firstrust Bank."
Upon completion of Entrepreneurs Game Plan, students across the region's 30 high schools will be invited to submit business plans as part of the End Zone Challenge, a competition to determine the best new business ideas from the program's participants. Submissions will be reviewed and judged by the Eagles, Firstrust Bank, and EVERFI. Winning students will be rewarded with an academic grant or a financial honorarium that they can use to further explore their business idea.
"At Firstrust, our mission is to cultivate prosperity for our customers and the communities we serve, and that path is so often seeded by the vision and drive of entrepreneurs," said Richard J. Green, Chairman and CEO of Firstrust Bank. "Equipping young people with financial literacy skills and entrepreneurial tools gives them the important knowledge they need for turning a good idea into a thriving business. Firstrust is especially pleased to support Entrepreneurs Game Plan alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, an organization that shares our commitment to providing young people in our community opportunities to succeed and prosper."
"Education is society's greatest equalizer," said Jon Chapman, president and co-founder of EVERFI. "The Philadelphia Eagles and Firstrust Bank understand how important it is to fill young minds with professional aspirations and opportunities to learn. Entrepreneurs Game Plan will allow students to learn the foundations of entrepreneurship and understand the necessary steps involved in making their dreams a reality."
